Great Piece on Paul Pierce From Red's Army

This is the stuff we need at this time of year:

Great piece on Paul Pierce.

Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics

I hate to take away from Nick's pending wedding, but I'm pretty sure he want me to post this. So congrats Nick and enjoy:

This morning I caught Rajon Rondo on the Dennis and Callahan show responding to swirling trade rumors. Supposedly Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins are also on the block. Now as Wyc Grousbeck recently said on the Dale and Holley show phones calls and discussions happen all of the time in the NBA. Of course that’s what any savvy owner would say. Still, initially I was a little taken back by the rumors, as I’ve grown attached to this team over the last two years. Yet I like the fact that Danny Ainge is always thinking about how to prevent the C’s recent revival from being a flash in the pan. In order to be good over the next 5 years the Celtics are going to have to make some hard decisions. They have to decide who gets paid. And at the heart of it’s the delicate line professional sports teams walk right now. When it comes down to it fans in the 21st century are rooting for the jersey. But it still helps to follow guys over the course of several seasons. Ultimately this is a Rajon Rondo post, but I’d like to make three points regarding all of these rumors before delving into the numerous points of information that have surfaced about the former Kentucky point guard.

1. Kevin Garnett’s health or lack thereof hangs over all of this. I’m even more convinced than I was in January that if healthy the C’s could have made a hell of a run at the championship in 2009. I’d like to see this team get one more shot at it next year. Of course if KG is not effective, it’s not going to happen.

2. I’ve loved everything Ray Allen has brought to the C's. He’s been unselfish, professional and at times an assassin. I understand that he may have to be traded or not resigned after next season. But I don’t want the C’s to align themselves for one of the marquee 2010 guys and miss out on acquiring someone. I honestly don’t see LeBron or Wade ending up in Boston. And I’m not sold on Bosh. Wait and see I guess.

3. I’m a huge fan of Perkins. I know people outside of Boston can’t stand him, but it’s been awesome to watch his growth as a player. Just know that moving him will make things more difficult for KG.

On to Rondo…

Point One: Rondo is somewhere between stubborn/difficult and uncoachable.

- This notion has been floating around over the last few days and I just don’t buy it. Granted if memory serves that was the word out of Kentucky and Rondo slipped in the draft as a result. I’m positive that a lot more goes on behind closed doors than we’ll ever know. And I don’t doubt that Rondo and Doc Rivers disagree frequently. But how can you explain Rondo’s improvement over the past few seasons? He fits within Boston’s systems and can’t be doing this all on his own.

Point Two: Rondo was late for a playoff game, showing up an hour before tip off.

- Rondo danced around this a little bit in the Dennis and Callahan show. He never addressed the specific incident, but did admit he hates wasting time in the locker room. He just likes to show up, get dressed and play. In fact at times he’ll get to the game and sit in his car for a half hour before heading in. I’m torn on this one. To be honest it’s a little weird. Granted he’s entitled to his own routine. It just screams a little bit as a guy who is relying heavily on his health and youth. It does shed some light on the final topic.

Point Three: Rondo is not well liked by some of his teammates.

- My initial reaction is, what is this freaking kindergarten? You know who everyone likes? The 15th man on the roster. If they didn’t he be gone. This is the freaking NBA. Being liked isn’t the be all end all. He does not appear to be a cancer and if Rondo is such a jerk why is he in Perk’s wedding later this summer? Still I could see how he might not be buddies with everyone. The guy roller skates a massive amount in the off season and by all account is a little quirky. Still, is the NBA really a league where everyone is buddy buddy.

Point Four: Rondo’s defense suffered when KG went out and Derrick Rose lit him up in round one of the playoffs.

- This one might make me the angriest. You mean Rondo was a better defender when KG was on the floor? I always thought Brian Scalabrine, Glen Davis and Leon Powe brought the exact same defense. Here’s a thought. Paul Pierce was a better defender with KG. And so were Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins. And I bet KG would argue that it’s easier to defend with Rondo and Perk on the floor than say Ervin Johnson and Troy Hudson. And for the record Rose had a huge game one, got burned plenty by Rondo and did not win the series. Finally, Steve Nash has been talked about as a possible replacement. Now there’s a guy who struggles on D. And Nash is also almost exactly 12 years older than Rondo.
Point Five: Rondo is carried by the Big Three.

- As good as Rondo is he’s not at the point where he’s raising teammates’ games like Jason Kidd during his best years with the Nets. Still Rondo brings much needed energy, athleticism and playmaking to the C’s. He’s a rising star at the point guard position and there are not a lot of guys in the league who could do what Rondo does with the C’s, big three or not.

Point Six: He can’t shoot:

- I won’t point to his superb field goal percentage, which is greatly helped by layups and floaters. I don’t even think it’s necessary to delve into his improvement since coming out of Kentucky and all the work he is currently putting in. I’ll just say this. I hate when we focus on what a guy can’t do instead of looking at what they do. How many guys can throw up triple doubles in the playoffs? Not many.

Point Seven: Rondo thinks he’s a max contract guy.

- In the Dennis and Callahan interview Rondo said while he may not be there yet, he’d like to be. It was unclear if he thought he’d be there once his current contract runs out or after his next one. I absolutely love his game but I’m not sold on the max contract. Just because a team has the ability to give a max contract does not mean it should. One needs to only look at division rival Philadelphia, and numerous other teams as well, to see what happens when guys get drastically overpaid.
Point Eight: Overall Rondo is difficult.

- I’ve probably touched on this already. It’s just important to stress that shipping a guy out of town for that reason makes way less sense if Amar’e Stoudemire is on the other end of the deal. I’d like to compare it to the Red Sox letting Mo Vaughn walk and trading for Carl Everett, but Rondo doesn’t deserve to be spoken about in that company. How about the fact that Rondo will be 23 in February? How long did it take Paul Pierce to get it? Guys frequently come into the league, put up stats, get paid, and then figure out what it takes to win as they mature. Rondo has to go through that process as well. I'd hate to see a guy leave town because he's quirky and still maturing.

Clearly I’ve written 1000+ words when I could have gone with three: Don’t Trade Rondo. On the bright side it’s June, the C’s were knocked out in the second round and the NBA season is over. Yet the Celtics got some substantial airtime of late on WEEI. What a difference a few years make. Nothing wrong with that.

Top Ten Moments of the 2009 Boston Celtics, Part 2.

If you missed moments 10-6, here they are.



5- Friday, March 20th, 2009: What a great night, and a great all around sports weekend. It was the first day of spring in 2009, and the concluding night of the first round of March Madness, a night in which previously top ranked Wake Forest was upset by thirteenth seeded Cleveland State. It was an evening of new beginnings, a chance for all of us to put the trials and hardships of winter behind us as we forged ahead to happier times. Nowhere in America was this feeling more palpable than in the city of Boston, where Celtics fans watched (on television) their savior return to action after missing 13 games to help give his team a lift in a tough road matchup with the Spurs.

Despite the 2055 miles that separate the cities of Boston and San Antonio, you could sense the energy that Garnett's return brought to the hardwood on this night. He logged less than 15 minutes of actual playing time, but you could see the impact of his presence manifest itself in the swagger that each and every Celtics player carried onto the floor with them. This was most evident in Kendrick Perkins, who played tremendous physical defense on Tim Duncan. The player of the night, hands down, was Tony Parker, who seemed to be in control of the game all night long. Parker finished with an impressive 25 points, 8 assists, and 7 boards. Ironically, Parker's very uncharacteristic four straight missed free throws in the final minutes cost his team a victory.

And so it was, for one night, that all seemed right with the world. Spring was here, and with it came a reawakening of the senses, the spirit, and the ability of the Celtics to defend the pick and roll. Kevin Garnett had not been able to contribute much. But, his 15 minutes at 75% and the emotion he injected into his teammates allowed the Celtics to beat one of the league's best teams on the road. How would any team be able to stop them once he worked his way back near 100%? The drive for banner 18 was back on schedule.

Of course, we all know how this turned out. That's why you have to stop to enjoy all of these moments.





4- Tuesday, May 12, 2009: Eastern Conference Playoffs, Round 2, Game 5. I'd like to think that the Orlando Magic were forged into a championship caliber team during their series with the Celtics. Sure, they were always talented. Sure, they could always create mismatches. But, they lacked a certain something. They couldn't finish. They seemed incapable of stringing together 48 solid minutes, and they couldn't hold a lead. They learned a series of tough lessons against the Celtics. Game 5 was the final lesson, and it is the moment I will look back on as the turning point if the Magic do end up hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in June (similar to the Giants close loss to the Patriots in week 17 of the 07-08 NFL season).

Orlando led by 14 at one point in the second half. They led by ten with five and a half minutes remaining in the fourth. And yet, the outcome seemed completely predictable, because this Magic team could not finish. The Celtics played 5 good minutes of basketball on this evening, and it was enough. I will always remember Stephon Marbury fondly for his performance in the fourth quarter of this game. With Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins resting on the bench, Marbury scored 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the fourth, ensuring that the Celtics would not fall behind further before their defensive stars returned. The fact that Doc Rivers felt comfortable with this strategy speaks volumes to what kind of team the Magic were.


This game totally altered the course of the 2009 playoffs, because the Orlando Magic that we all knew died that night at the Garden. The team that always folded in the face of adversity and seemed to acquiese to the will of their opponents ceased to exist. What grew in their place was a team that finally understood what it needed to do to to be a championship contender. This change was most evident in Dwight Howard. Previously criticized for his happy-go-lucky demeanor, Howard suddenly appeared frustrated before the media, calling out his coach and demanding more touches. In Game 6, the Magic overcame a horrendous shooting night and a ten-point second half Celtics lead to force a game 7. Orlando then came out in game 7 with the look of a team on a mission. They were determined to TAKE the game, rather than simply hoping it would fall their way. They played with a high intensity for the entire night, and they finally showed the ability to play with a lead, as they matched every Celtics run by tightening up on defense and knocking down big shots.

Coming back from a 15 point halftime deficit to take game 1 in Cleveland; Being down 23 in the second quarter at Cleveland and forcing LeBron to beat you with a miracle heave; grinding out a tough OT victory in game 4: none of this happens without game 5, the night on which the Magic turned the corner.

Of course, I knew none of this as I exited the TD Banknorth Garden on May 12th. I felt, for the first time of the postseason, like the Celtics actually had the stuff to make a run at the finals. Again, this is why you have to enjoy the moment while you're in it.





3- Sunday, May 10, 2009: We always hear coaches talk about the importance of role players stepping up in key spots, and how it is virtually impossible to win a championship if this doesn't happen. This was perhaps never more evident than in game 4 against the Magic. Glen Davis went through many ups and downs during the final minute of this game, but in the end, he stepped up to give his team the win. Davis scored a big bucket with just over 30 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a one point lead. Back on the defensive end, he was once again abused by Rashard Lewis (a perpetual occurence in this series), sending lewis to the free throw line to put the Magic up 1. Earlier this season, something like that might have shaken Davis. Maybe it was the influence of Kevin Garnett, maybe it was the fact that he was completely desensitized to Rashard Lewis making him look like a fool. Whatever it was, Davis took the floor on the offensive end, and sunk a game winning jumper as time expired (see above video). In doing so, he gave the Celtics new life.

Note: It was in this joyous moment that we all got acquainted with Ernest Provetti, who demanded an apology after Davis accidentily bumped his son Nicholas after the shot. Provetti would later rescind his request, essentially admitting that he had completely failed as a father and as a man.




2- Monday, April 20, 2009 It was Patriot's Day. The day of the Boston Marathon. We were just getting acquainted with these new Bulls at this point. This Bulls series felt like it lasted for months, and it seemed to have 4 distinct phases for Celtics fans. Games 1 and 2 were the "they had key guys turn in huge performances, and we were way off. this series won't be close" phase. Game 3 was the "See, we knew these guys sucked" phase. Games 4,5, and 6 were the "oh shit, wait a second, these guys are actually pretty good. im a little bit worried" phase. And, finally game 7 was the "cut the bullshit and win this game" phase.

In game 1, it was Derrick Rose who turned in a monumental performance for the Bulls. In game 2, it was Ben Gordon, who finished with 42 points. His final two came with 12 seconds left, and tied the game up at 115. Heading into the final Celtics possession, there was no question who was getting the ball. Ray Allen, who at that point had put to rest any worries about him being in a shooting slump by scoring 25 second half points, was the hot hand (and, not to mention, one of the best clutch shooters of all time). With Paul Pierce struggling, everyone watching knew that Ray would get the last shot. The Bulls knew it too. And yet, somehow, as he always does, Ray got open and knocked down a game winning 3 (see above video). There were 2 seconds left on the clock, which ordinarily would have made me nervous given the way Gordon had played. But, luckily Vinny Del Negro was out of timeouts, and a Tyrus Thomas desperation heave was all his team could muster. I don't know what's better: the fact that this happened, or the fact that this was not the only time in this series Del Negro found himself out of timeouts in a key spot.

Going down 2-0 to this Chicago team, who I still didn't think was for real at this point, would have been disasterous. Now they had new life, and Ray had found his shooting touch again. We shuffled across the street to the Four's in search of some celebratory beer and nachos. I will never forget what happened next. Suddenly, I look over, and Tommy Heinsohn was taking a seat in the booth right next to ours. As he sat down, he exclaimed "it's time to wet the whistle!" I observed him carefully, and kept in close contact with the waiter about what he was ordering. 1 shrimp cocktail, and several bloody marys. Very tomato heavy (lycopene: good for the prostate). Heinsohn won 8 rings as a player and 2 more as a coach. He was a six time all star and coach of the year. He's the face of the franchise as an announcer. Really, there is no question that this was more significant than drinking ten feet away from Larry Bird. In fact, the only member of the Celtics organization that may have been more significant is Red Auerbach, who is no longer with us.

I reported my encounter, among other things, to the basketball jones that night. I called and e-mailed many times. I had been out of town all day, and had not seen the show. I think I was having withdrawals. Anyways, in a moment that made me very proud, and made my friends and family hang their heads in shame, here is the episode:

Ep. 424: Season In Balance from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

1- Tuesday, November 28, 2008: It's strange to think that the top moment of a season could take place before a single minute of regular season basketball has even been played. But, I don't think that anybody could take me to task for choosing this as moment #1. Certainly, in a season in which I saw many memorable moments in the Garden, this is the one that will stick with me the longest. The lights were turned down, and suddenly there was a spotlight on Paul Pierce at center court. We then saw John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Jo Jo White, M.L. Carr and Cedric Maxwell, carry out the Larry O'Brien out to Paul Pierce, who was already in tears as he took it from them and lifted it in the air to the roar of the packed house.

Even now, it's hard for me to get past the emotion of this scene and the uniqueness of Pierce's situation. This championship meant the world to Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who had worked tirelessly for their entire careers to get it. But, it meant more to Pierce, if that's even possible, because of the circumstances. When, in this era, do you ever see a player spend ten years as the leader of a franchise that sees such dark times? You don't. Despite all the changes that have gone on around him, Pierce has remained the face of this franchise for a decade. This team was as far as they could go in the rebuilding process: lots of young talent, expiring contracts, and Paul Pierce. Things were not always smooth, and both sides have acknowledged that. In fact, in his speech on this very night, he talked about being frustrated and asking to be traded. Earlier that day, Danny Ainge had gone on WEEI and stated categorically that going into the 2007 draft they were determined to either trade their pick or trade Paul Pierce. The relationship between Pierce and the fans of Boston has been much rockier than has been the case with previous Celtics superstars. But, there were two men who always believed in Paul Pierce: Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge. That will get you pretty far in Boston.

And, I have to believe that even the Pierce detractors that wanted him gone (and I sit next to two of them at the games) had to appreciate what he has done on this night. He has grown up as a player in this city. We've seen him at his highest and his lowest. At times, we've both said things we wish he could have back. He's like family. He's ingrained in this city, and it would have been terrible to see him in another uniform. Players always thank the fans after they win championships, but I don't think anybody in history has ever meant it as much as Paul Pierce meant it, and I don't think any fanbase has ever appreciated a player's individual moment as much as the fans of Boston appreciated this one. This, in my mind, is a top ten moment in the history of this great franchise. And, there is no question it was the highlight of the season.

The Top Ten Moments of the 2009 Boston Celtics, Part 1

I'm just warning you now, part 1 of this list is very Truth-heavy.

10- Sunday, March 8th, 2009: Despite trailing by 18 at the half and missing both Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are able to pull within double digits by the end. More important than the outcome of the game was the announcement that Paul Pierce had passed Robert Parish to become number three on the all-time Celtics scoring list, behind Larry Bird and John Havlicek.

I'll never forget this, because we all got to our feet and clapped, and the older couple next to me shook their heads in disaproval. "It's really too bad, Parish was a much better player, Pierce is just a ballhog" the woman said to me, her husband nodding in agreement. It's interesting that Pierce was never embraced as unconditionally by all of Celtics nation as the two men ahead of him and the man who he passed. Part of it, I guess, is that older people always seem to think that what's happening now isn't as great as it used to be. The other is that I suppose these fans need somebody to blame for the subpar years that this team has seen with Pierce. In my opinion, he belongs in the company of all the Celtics greats, and this was a really great moment in an otherwise frustrating afternoon.





9- Monday, November 10, 2008: On the eve of Veteran's Day, the Celtics found themselves down eight points to the Raptors in the fourth quarter. It was then that Paul Pierce took over. He scored 22 points in the final quarter, and led the Celtics to victory in a game in which they had trailed since the opening minutes. When Pierce took the stage at the postgame press conference with his hand wrapped in ice, Kevin Garnett jokingly informed the media that Pierce's shooting hand needed to be cooled down. While Pierce's performance drew national praise, there was also many around North America who were upset with Kevin Garnett waving his finger in Jose Calderon's face as Calderon was advancing the ball.

While KG's finger wag upset many, I loved it. My reaction to it now is the same as it was then: If you don't like one of the highest paid veterans in the league going balls to the wall and doing everything he can to win in November, you've got problems. You're probably one of the same people who complains about NBA teams coasting through the regular season. Some people are never happy. Eat a dick, essentially, is what I'm saying to you.

Here were KG's postgame thoughts on Pierce's performance (it's funny, but a little awkward...very nasaly performance)




8- Tuesday, April 28, 2009: Eastern Conference Playoffs, Round 1, Game 5. Kevin Garnett is not playing. Ray Allen fouled out with over 5 minutes remaining (the last two fouls were VERY questionable calls, particularly the 6th.) Things were looking bleak. However, as he so often does, Paul Pierce took the team on his shoulders. He tied the game with 10 seconds left in the fourth, and then scored 6 in the overtime. His final two, a signature jumper from the elbow, put the Celtics up 2 with 3 seconds left in the overtime.

It should be noted here that Richard Phillips (the Captain captured by Somali pirates) was the "Celtics Hero Among Us" of this night. I should probably say something about gaining a lot of perspective on sports and realizing what a real role model is and all that stuff. I just thought it was cool. That's all I have to say.




7- Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009: The Celtics had won 11 straight heading into their road matchup with the Sixers. With less than a minute remaining, Ray Allen hit a three pointer to tie the game up at 97, apparently prompting Cedric Maxwell to exclaim "Sugar Ray! That's onions right there! Not onion rings, but onIONS!" (see video below). However, after Andre Iguodala hit a beautiful fallaway shot with six seconds left, it looked like that 11 game win streak would come to an end. However, Doc Rivers drew up a beatiful inbounds play for Ray Allen, who gave the Celtics the win by hitting a three pointer from the corner with less than a second left on the clock.

Words can't do this one justice, watch it:




6- Wednesday, November 12, 2008: Two nights after scoring 22 fourth quarter points to beat the Raptors, Paul Pierce scores 34 with the final two coming on a fallaway jumper with his team down 1 and .5 seconds left on the clock to beat the previously undefeated Hawks. KG had 25 and 12 in this one as well. After the game, Kevin Garnett had this to say to the media:

"The last play was drawn up: Get the ball to Pierce; get the hell out the way," Garnett said. "Superman's in the booth. Let's go home. That was the play, and if you don't believe that ask Doc Rivers and he'll say the same exact thing."

This week was my favorite of the entire season, and this would probably be my top moment of the season if the playoffs had never happened. This was early November, and teams were coming in to the Garden to play the defending champs with intensity usually reserved for postseason game 7s. They were pushed to their breaking point twice in a row, and both times they dug deep and provided the fans with moments they won't soon forget.

Here is the buzzer beater from that night:




Moments 5-1 coming at you Monday or Tuesday.

Doc: Pierce, Perk, KG All Most Likely Need Surgery

Doc Rivers, on with Dennis and Callahan this morning as he is every week during the season, shed some light on KG's knee, other injuries that impacted the team, and how the team will progress moving forward.

From Green Street

On whether KG's knee is more serious than was reported:

"I don’t think there will be much more (than reported). I think it will be the strained tendon and the bone spur. What they started thinking at the end was that maybe the bone spur had something to do, maybe it started rubbing against the tendon and that’s what kept it inflamed. But they don’t know that. That’s just an assumption."


On other injuries that affected the team and will need to be addressed:

"Ray Allen had a hamstring problem throughout the Orlando series that was not getting better. Paul had some bone spurs that may need to be removed as well. (Kendrick Perkins) may have to have a procedure on his shoulder… In Ray’s case, I thought his hamstring was bothering him a lot. That could have had an effect on him (during the Magic series)."


On the future of he and Thibs with the C's:

on himself: "I have every intention of coming back".

on Thibs: "I hope he’s not back…(The 76ers job) will be a tough one to get. Tom’s not a good guy – he’s a great guy. And he’s a terrific coach. So I’m really pulling for him."



So, let's give a quick rundown of what we've learned:

1) It sounds like all the Celtics really knew was that KG's knee was effed up. There was no specific injury that people were keeping under cover. At no point was he "done for good" and they weren't telling us. If what Doc is saying is true, it sounds like it was really bothering him, and they kept trying it out, and the tendon was too inflamed for him to go. It also sounds like removing that bone spur will be the key to a clean bill of health for the big ticket.

2) Ray's hamstring was bothering him, which surely impacted his shooting (and allowed JJ Redick to stay with him). Paul Pierce had bone spurs in his knee, and may require surgery. We at roomofzen could tell Paul was not healthy, and were wondering about his knees very early in the postseason. I'm not the least bit surprised to learn that. Anybody could tell he was not healthy. Finally, Perk's shoulder, which the trainers were always working on before and during games, clearly didn't affect his overall game. However, I do wonder if there were times (for example, missing three straight layup tries in one posession in game 7) where the combination of the pain and the fatigue was too much for the big man. Luckily, these all sound like issues that can be cleared up in the offseason, and can have all these guys back and as good as new by the pre-season.

3) Doc is a committed family man and his family lives in Orlando, so I always worry about whether or not he will come back. It's great to hear that he'll be back. I truly believe he proved himself to be the best coach in the NBA this season. As far as losing Tom Thibodeau goes, it will be tough. I am going through a similar crisis with my New York Giants losing Steve Spagnuolo. But, this is the circle of life in professional sports. Doc has to be behind him, and so do we. If Doc were trying to convince him to stay, Thibs would start to resent him anyways. Good luck to him. And, besides, as we saw in 2007, it's more about the players than anything. As long as KG is back, I have faith that this team will play some serious D.

Flatline Blue and the Taste of Loss: The Roomofzen Tries To Live Up To Its Name

The only disappointing thing about this team is the way that they went out. It would have been much more appropriate, and much more telling of the season they had, for them to go out fighting and clawing for victory. That didn't happen. But, we can't complain. This Celtics team defended their title valiantly all season, and they never let any setbacks turn into excuses for them to mail it in. They gave us everything they had. Unfortunately, last night, they had nothing left. And I'll thank them for that, because it's not often you see a team completely empty themselves.

I still feel upset about last night, not upset at the Cs, but just because it was upsetting to watch. We started to see signs that this team was done in the second half of game 6 when they uncharacteristically pissed away a lead (sorry for not being more eloquent). But, it was clear last night that the Celtics' tank was empty. Orlando hasn't been able to hold a lead in the fourth quarter throughout this entire series (let it dwindle down in game 1, lost it in games 4 and 5). But heading into the fourth last night, with the Celtics barely breathing, the Magic sharpened their focus and squeezed the life out of the Cs. The Celtics let a lot of shots go uncontested, they were sloppy, and they couldn't finish. Paul Pierce's two missed free throws and Kendrick Perkins' three consecutive missed layups on one possession were tell tale signs that this team was exhausted.

I should say something like "Tip of the hat to the Magic. They were able to weather some tough setbacks in this series. They have some great shooters, and they create a lot of tough matchups." But, I'm still bitter, especially because with both teams at full strength the Celtics win. So, what I have to say would probably come out filled with backhanded compliments like "Dwight Howard impacts the game in so many ways that no other player can. Once he actually learns how to play basketball, he'll have a real shot at becoming one of the best big men this game has ever seen". And, I certainly don't want to do that.

We'll have a lot of issues to tackle this offseason, the biggest being the futures of Leon Powe and Glen Davis. I wouldn't be surprised if Big Baby played his way right into a big contract during this postseason. Don't expect the Celtics to overpay. Remember, they wouldn't overpay to bring James Posey back. All the reports I read last offseason indicate that the biggest priority is making sure there will be enough room to retain Rondo and Perk (in 2010 and 2011, respectively), as the organization views the two of them as the bridge out of the big three era and into the future. Will Glen Davis be the third part of that bridge? Tough to say right now, but I expect that we'll know where the organization stands soon enough.

We're going to spend a day or two reflecting on everything that has happened, and then we'll be counting down the top ten moments of this season. PLEASE send us an e-mail at oracle@roomofzen.com with your votes on both the top moment, and how you think the top ten will shake out. We'll hopefully have a reader quote for each moment. Be sure to include moments that you think would be in the bottom half of the list (as some of those are more memorable).

After a brief staff meeting, here are some of the nominees to be on our Official Roomofzen Top Ten Moments of the 2009 Season:

Opening Night, Paul Pierce in tears as the trophy is brought to him by the Celtic greats

November, Celtics come from behind to knock off the Raptors, KG wags his finger in Calderon's face

Two days later, Paul Pierce hits a buzzer beater to sink the Hawks

Election night, the Cs grind out a tough victory in Houston, I get yelled at by my fiancee for refusing to change the channel (in the final minute of the game) to the announcement of the new president, causing us to miss the official announcement.

Ray Allen hits a big three to seal a victory in Philadelphia

The KGless, TAless Celtics defeat the Cavaliers in Boston on a Friday night in March. Big Baby is ejected, LeBron clangs a dunk right off the rim.

KG's (temporary) return inspires the Cs to victory on a Friday night in San Antonio

A Sunday afternoon in March, the Celtics lose to Orlando, but Paul Pierce passes Robert Parish to become number three on the all-time Celtics scoring list (behind Bird and Havlicek)

Round 1, Game 2, Ray Allen wins it for the Celtics with a last second three pointer. About an hour later, we see Tommy Heinsohn at the Fours. He exclaims "It's time to wet the whistle" and orders a bloody mary and a shrimp cocktail

Round 1, Game 5, with KG in street clothes and Ray Allen fouled out, Paul Pierce leads the Celtics to a 2 point overtime victory.

Round 1, Game 7, Celtics seal up a victory in one of the greatest first round series in NBA playoff history.

Round 2, Game 4, Glen "the raging animal" Davis hits a last second jumper to give the Cs the victory and even up the series.

Round 2, Game 5, Despite being down double digits with just over 5 minutes to go, the Celtics find a way to win at home and take a lead in the series. The highlight was Stephon Marbury scoring 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the fourth quarter. Ray Allen hit a big three to seal it for the Cs.

Again, please email oracle@roomofzen.com with your picks for top moment, your top ten moments, and please let us know if we've left some out.

For now, I will refuse to go quietly in to baseball season. Let's all hope that Carmelo, KMart, and Chauncey can be 2009's version of Pierce, KG, and Ray.

This game is beautiful.

Game 7: Defenders of the Universe

I've referred to big Celtics runs as the times when they "form Voltron", because when they are able to ratchet up their defensive intensity, they form a five headed force that is completely unstoppable. At their best, they play team defense better than anyone in the league, and it tends to lead to easy buckets on the other end. Most recently, they were able to do this in the final half of the fourth quarter in game 5. When they are in the zone like this, there is nobody that can beat them, with or without KG (although they seem to be far less in control of when and for how long it happens with him gone). There is no point in talking about who is better or who should win tonight. The one thing I will say is that I'm really glad the there was an extra day of rest leading up to this matchup. We all just need to sit back, give ourselves up to it, and hope it happens.

In case you're unfamiliar, here's what it looks like:





important note: when I talk about the Celtics "forming Voltron", I am never ever ever referring to Vehicle Voltron.

Buy a shirt!

Game 3: The New Way

The Orlando Magic have made it clear to everybody that they are fairly content to have simply advanced to round 2 of the playoffs. Going further would be nice, but they're not going to beat themselves up over a secound round exit. They didn't seem overly determined to hold off a late game 1 Celtics charge, and they certainly could not have cared less about salvaging any of their dignity as the Celtics wiped the floor with them in game 2. I can't accept losing to a team like this. A loss to the Bulls, who played balls to the wall every minute of the postseason, I would have been able to accept given the absence of KG and Leon. But a loss to this Magic team who, like their city, seem to lack any substance or grit would just be crushing.

Despite their lack of a killer instinct (see Rajon Rondo throwing down on Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis below), they are very talented, and that's why tonight is a must-win game for the Celtics. With Rafer Alston out, the Magic will be extremely vulnerable tonight. In a way, I think this is a bigger blow than when they had to play game 6 of last series without Dwight Howard. Without Howard, they were faster and forced Philly to totally rethink their entire strategy (I'm certainly not suggesting that they'd be better without him long term, but it seemed to actually help in a one game situation). Without Alston, the game plan doesn't change, it just gets more difficult to execute. The Celtics SHOULD be able to win this one easily. And, if they do, the Magic will roll over and die in this series. At least, everything I've seen about them tells me they would. They don't have what it takes to come back from two straight losses.

It sounds simple, and it may seem foolish for me to suggest that a game 3 against a team missing a key player is a must win. But, for as great as the Celtics have been over the past two seasons, there has been one constant frustration. They let teams hang around in the postseason. They don't put series away quickly when they have the chance. This trend, more than anything, makes me worried about tonight. If they're going to have any shot of beating Cleveland, they're going to need to end this thing quick and get as much rest as possible.

So, to be clear, tonight is not a must-win in the sense that a loss would inevitably lead to a series loss. Tonight is a must win in the sense that a win would prevent this from becoming the 7 game barn burner that many expect. Keeping this series short and clean is the only way we can hope to not be Cleveland's sacrificial lamb in round 3.




Simmons on Manny. Frickin amazing article.

When will I watch baseball again? Difficult to say. Not any time soon.

McLovin Call Featured on The Basketball Jones

(note: we're going old school with that above logo)

It's a strange, strange world we live in when the best show on television isn't even on television. As I always say, I can't recommend the Basketball Jones enough to all of you. It is exactly what you need to get through a work day. These are the discussions I'd like to have with all of my co-workers, but obviously it isn't the appropriate forum. I'm sure these guys get sick of me calling and e-mailing them my rants, but sometimes I still get on.

Ep. 434: Elbows Up from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

That makes today a good day, especially since the Cs won last night and I'll be wearing my brand new Marbury jersey T to the Mastodon show tonight at the House Of Blues:




Get to the Store!

Update Your Wardrobe

With the warm weather finally here, it's probably time for you to add a new t-shirt to your wardrobe. It is my pleasure to unveil the newest Roomofzen t-shirt, a kelly green tribute to one of the greatest players ever to wear the green. The front has Paul Pierce's 34, and the back gives us (uncensored) Shaquille O'Neal's famous quote from which Pierce's nickname grew. This is American Apparel...high quality, durable, and not made in a sweatshop. The neckhole on these suckers is guaranteed (this is very important to Babcock) to hold sturdy and not get stretched out.

And, as if you didn't already have enough reasons to support Paul by buying this shirt, here is some great news today from his website.

Pictures are below, here is the link to buy .





We're really happy about this shirt, so if you could send the link around it would be great:

AGAIN, HERE IS THE LINK TO BUY THE PAUL PIERCE SHIRT


I've heard a lot of people lately talking about Kevin Garnett being done. "He has too many miles on him", they say, "he'll never be the same." I think that's bullshit, and I expect the Big Ticket to return just as good as ever next season. I want everyone to know next year just how lucky they are to be off the hook in '09. Now, those who are smart will know that KG means business. But, a new look will go a long way in convincing the doubters. Here it is:



Is this too much to ask?

Foil in the Oven: The Deep Sigh of Relief

With about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics up 92-91, Rajon Rondo lost the ball out of bounds. The Bulls inbounded to Derrick Rose, who pushed the ball up the court ahead of the entire Celtics team and laid it in to give Chicago the lead. "Jesus, that was pathetic" I yelled (sprinkled with expletives). The next 5 minutes were probably the lowest point of the past two seasons for me. The defense was lazy, Ben Gordon couldn't miss, and at the end of it the Bulls had a five point lead and all of the momentum. I was furious. I couldn't believe that this team would allow their defensive effort to dissipate in the closing minutes of this one, wasting special performances from Big Baby, Rondo, and Perk in the process. They were going to lose, and it was going to be a death blow.

At this point, Doc called a timeout and ripped his team a new one for their lack of intensity. We all saw how it went down after the time out, and it was great. There was so much to feel good about after that win. However, I have a lot of concerns, and those need to be addressed first.

- Things are going to get much more difficult if Leon is not able to return in this series. It only took Mikki Moore 8 seconds to commit his first foul last night, and Doc's supply of front line minutes is getting more and more depleted.

- It's hard for me to even string together a rational thought about the repercussions that the Cs would face if Rondo's ankle blew up like a balloon last night and he's unable to go in Chicago.

- The bench was absolutely horrendous last night, accounting for only 9 of the Cs' total 118 points. Great bench play was an essential piece to last year's championship run. The Celtics are going to need more from these guys, especially Eddie House, going forward.

- Speaking of the bench, Tony Allen did not play a single minute last night and I don't know what to make of it. Last night seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to see heavy minutes defending Ben Gordon. At the very least, I expected to see him come in at the end with the Celts up 115-113 to defend Gordon. He didn't, and Gordon tied up the game. So, what does this mean? If we can't call on Tony Allen to come in and give good defensive minutes, especially against a team with such good scorers in the backcourt, things are going to be a lot tougher.

- I can't tell if Paul Pierce is hurt or if he is just worn down. With Deng out, I expected him to control this series and he hasn't been up to the task. He's passing up shots (huge red flag!), he is having trouble getting back every time of defense, and he hasn't seemed to be able to break down anyone off the dribble. I thought Salmons (especially with a bad groin) and Hinrich would be great matchups for him.
I guess the true indicator of whether or not PP is hurt will come in Chicago. We've seen him worn down before, and he usually manages to spring back just when we need him most.

- As was the case on Saturday, there were lapses in Boston's intensity and execution. It's frustrating, and I feared it would once again cost them. It's held true over two games now: they must make getting back on D the number one priority. Although they did a better job yesterday, they still gave up far too many easy points (Chicago shot 50% from the field. Abysmal).

To alleviate this, I think Doc needs to rotate in more bench minutes. In particular, why haven't we seen Bill Walker? I know he's inexperienced, but it's not like we'd be throwing him out there against the Lakers. This is a young Bulls team. Walker would allow more rest for the starters, and I think he could match Chicago's intensity. A fucking spark! That's what this team has needed throughout this series. I really think, in this specific case, Walker can provide that spark.


So, yes, I still have a lot of concerns. But, I'm confident that things are going to pick up. Our readers all know that I have a pretty serious mancrush on Paul Pierce. Hearing his distinct, sultry voice tell me that "our best is yet to come" brought me great comfort.


Now, not to overlook the positive:

- 28 second half points for Ray, who looked like his old self down the stretch. We can all stop panicking now about a repeat playoff slump.

- It's incredible how much Rondo and Big Baby have improved their outside shot, and it gives me so much hope for the future of the Celtics post-big three. Both of these guys can now make teams pay for playing off of them (and Big Baby did, over and over again last night). This will make the Celtics even more dangerous when they are back at full strength next season.

- Rondo is a tough motherfucker. I've heard some talk from the anti-Celtics camp that he likes to ham it up a bit when he goes to the floor so that people will give him more credit for his toughness. First of all, that's ridiculous. He hits the floor hard every night. Secondly, nobody can deny that ankle last night. It was clear as day on the replay. To come back from that and still finish with a triple double is ridiculous. Add 5 steals to those triple double numbers. Hands down the most important player of the series so far. I wish he'd start padding himself up like Dwayne Wade does. It makes sense.

- The Celtics returned to their old ways and dominated the glass in this one. In particular, credit Rondo and Perk with 7 offensive boards apiece. Big Baby made up for his poor rebounding performance on Saturday, and it made his 26 points all the more impressive.

- Perk did everything in this game. He pulled down tough rebounds in traffic, he blocked a key shot at the end of the game, and his ability to work Chicago's front line on offense appeared at times in the first half to be the only constant for the Cs.

- The Bulls came in to this determined to get a split in Boston. They did a hell of a job with it. Back to back career nights from different players. However, they will not have guys step up like that every night. They can't. Just as Rose came back down to earth last night, Gordon will come down on Thursday.

- We finally saw life from this team in the second half. It came quickly once they started to build some momentum. They are better than this Chicago team, which is why I can't understand the sheepishness with which they have approached their business for much of this series. They are the world champs, and I'd like to see some front running. They play better and with a hell of a lot more intensity when they carry that attitude with them. I don't care if it takes KG taunting opponents from the bench and picking up technicals. I don't care if it takes Perk putting Noah down hard (by don't care I mean I'd fucking love it) and taking a technical. The swagger needs to return. That will get them back on defense. That will lead to more scoring. That's when the Celtics are at their best.




Final note:

After the game, my fiancee and I went across the street to the Four's for some beer and nachos. After leaving the Garden, there was no way we could just go home. Well, the next thing we know, Tommy Heinsohn is sitting in the booth right behind ours. I had a dead on view of him, and took in as much as I could. I started thinking to myself....is there a more significant Celtic that I could be looking at right now? Heinsohn won 8 rings as a player and 2 more as a coach. He was a six time all star and coach of the year. He's the face of the franchise as an announcer. Really, there is no question that this was more significant than drinking ten feet away from Larry Bird. I guess the only guy you could argue would be Bill Russell.

I kept in close contact with his waiter. He drank bloody marys and ate shrimp cocktail. That's a meal very heavy in tomatoes (lycopene, good for the prostate). Bloody Marys late at night? The man is an animal.

Foil in the Oven: Eyes On The Road

Hopefully this will be just what the Celtics need to get focused.


Look, this was a great game, and that's why you should feel good if you're a Celtics fan. Some analysts are saying it was the greatest opening playoff game they can remember, which is strange because I just found it incredibly frustrating. Really, with the way they were playing, the Celtics had no business being in this one. They could not have played worse. And yet, they were one missed free throw away from taking it.

Really, think about that game. Ray Allen turned in one of the worst performances of his career. 1-12 shooting, 4 points, and uncharacteristically sloppy play. Ray missed a dunk! Ray Allen, who is smoother than a fucking silk diaper on a baby's ass, clanged a dunk. Overall, 4-16 from beyond the arc yesterday for the Celtics, who were the the league's top three point shooting team this season. No mystery here, the Celtics struggle when they don't shoot well (see rough January stretch after Christmas loss to Lakers).


Glen Davis only had 3 rebounds, and that makes it hard to feel good about his scoring. The C's were outrebounded in this one (the margin was only 8 but it seemed like more). Leon Powe went virtually unnoticed, which can't happen if we are going to have any hope of making it to the Cavs.

Defensively, this was a lazy, uninspired nightmare. They were horrible in transition, and Joakim Noah reaped the benefits. Derrick Rose pushed the tempo, and the Celtics had no answer. They couldn't keep Rose in front of them, and they really struggled against the pick and roll (I'm sure they heard about that from KG immediately). I'm not too concerned here. Tom Thibodeau will make adjustments.


OK, so this was a full-blown disaster. The Celtics struggled in all areas. And, Derrick Rose turned in a perfect game. And yet, if Paul Pierce hits his last free throw with 2 seconds left, the Celtics take the game. When you take all of that into account, how could you be worried? Disappointed? Of course. That was a pretty anti-climactic way to start off the playoffs, particularly at home. If this were March Madness, we'd be devastated. But, it's not. It's a 7 game series, and I don't think the Bulls can pull this off again.


Some final loose thoughts:

- The one pleasant aspect of this matchup was watching Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo go at each other. Brilliant performances turned in by both of these guys. I can't even count how many times in the fourth quarter Rose made me say to myself "jesus, there is no fucking way we are beating this guy today." He played a perfect game.


- I am probably in the minority here, but I was impressed with Stephon Marbury's ten minutes. He was finding good, open looks for his teammates. They just weren't knocking them down.


- Kirk Hinrich is still impressive to watch defensively. He kept Rondo in front of him, and he even did a good job on Pierce.

- The Bulls, in general, did a good job denying Pierce the ball. He kept getting the ball outside the three point line. This is going to have to be remedied. In particular, they need to figure out how to get Paul the ball down low when Hinrich is on him.

- Derrick Rose shooting free throws with ten seconds left on an off the ball foul.........questionable. I might not be bringing it up if Bennett Salvatore was not officiating (we know he has NO PROBLEM putting guys on the line at the end of big games), or if Rondo hadn't chased down a loose ball and been clobbered by three Bulls without a whistle, or if a travel call on Salmons hadn't just been reversed. Whatever, I said it. The Celtics didn't deserve the win, so I'm not blaming anybody. But, it had to be said.

Day 1: All Rise

Check out my playoff predictions here.


Before we begin the celebration, a reading from the book of Halberstam:

"It was clear at the end of the season that he would not be coming back. He and Snyder had a meeting. 'I think we should change coaches,' Snyder said. 'I think we should too,' Ramsay said. 'How do we do it?' Snyder asked. Ramsay sensed immediately that it was a question of the deferred money and that Snyder wanted him to quit in anger so that he could avoid paying it. 'Well, I think you should go ahead and announce that there's going to be a coaching change," he said.

So it was that Jack Ramsay left Buffalo, neither fired nor rehired. Stu Inman, looking for a coach, had seen the final game of the Washington playoff series, and asked Ramsay about coming to Portland. The first thing Ramsay thought of was not how far west Portland was, it was no longer near Japan; the first thing he thought of was that Bill Walton played there and Walton lived by speed."

--Breaks of the Game.


Here's to new beginnings everybody.







Today's Festivities:





Chicago at Boston, 12:30


Celticsblog: "Just in case the world hasn't met Rajon Rondo yet, they are about to get a steady dose of reminders that the kid is grown up. Its no longer about "potential" with Rondo. He is, hands down, one of the best point guards in the game. He can dominate a game without taking a shot outside of 3 feet but don't look now, he's also adding that 12 foot jumper that everyone said he needed. Rondo's already a star, it just may take these playoffs for everyone to notice."


Celtics Hub: "Can the Bulls stop the Celtics? I don’t see it. Derrick Rose cannot guard Rajon Rondo, and nobody on the Bulls can guard Paul Pierce–especially not with John Salmons nursing a gimpy groin. The Bulls starting shooting guard, Ben Gordon, is not tall enough at 6′3” to effectively check Ray Allen. Perk could average 12 points a game given the size advantage he’s going to have and his recent uptick in offensive activity; he averaged 11-9 in March, a career month, and he’s only slowed down a bit this month. He’s put up a KG-esque 16-9 against Chicago this year. I mean this sincerely: Perk can be a weapon in this series."



Blog a Bull: "So while we've seen in the past where Thomas and Noah are completely thrown off their games against Garnett, this series can provide a chance for them to finally give it to the Celtics. For Noah to crash the offensive glass instead of picking up fouls. For Thomas to force the Celtics to foul him instead of settling for a jumper while Tom Thibodeau grins.

Both have made strides this season, though it wasn't exactly a breakout campaign for either, and questions remain in terms of how they can handle themselves against the elite teams. But Noah's certainly gotten stronger (literally, even) after a bad offseason and start to the year, and Thomas keeps showing more and more reasons to even consider not trading him for Amare Stoudemire, which is more than can be said the season prior. Thomas in particular can really raise his status with a great playoff performance."


Roomofzen note: respect Perk or get your feelings hurt.





Detroit at Cleveland, 3:00


Cavs News: "The point is that even when the Pistons were a legitimate contender they never had much success guarding James—and this year’s Pistons are not nearly as good defensively (or offensively) as the 2006 and 2007 versions were, while the Cavs clearly have a much more talented and deeper roster than they did back then. The Pistons still have a fine midrange shooter (Richard Hamilton), a good wing defender (Tayshaun Prince) and their rotation of bigs—including Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell—can do some damage but overall the Pistons do not match up well with the Cavs, who won three of the four regular season meetings. Detroit’s lone victory against Cleveland came all the way back on November 19 and the since banished Allen Iverson played a prominent role, scoring 23 points on 8-16 shooting; that was during a stretch when Detroit won four out of five games–including victories over the Cavs and Lakers—by featuring Iverson and Rasheed Wallace in screen/roll actions that were very tough to defend: give Iverson space and he would jet to the hoop but give Wallace space and he would drain three pointers (3-6 from long range versus Cleveland in that game).

Fortunately for the Cavs, the Pistons inexplicably abandoned the idea of using Iverson effectively, tried to turn him into a sixth man and later asked him to stay away from the team for the rest of the season. With Iverson out of the picture, young guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum have to shoulder heavy responsibilities, though Prince or Hamilton can also assume some playmaking duties."



Need4Sheed: "I have my own bright spots here and there like the surprising and refreshing play of Will Bynum, the heart and determination of Antonio McDyess, Rip Hamilton’s return to the starting lineup, the defense of Arron Afflalo and iron man Tayshaun Prince, but all those things just don’t add up to what it takes to beat (and I hate saying this) a powerhouse like the Cavs.

The Cavs are 66-15 and have won 18 of their last 20, and like I mentioned before have lost just one at home. The series starts with the first two games in Cleveland. LeBron has dominated Detroit in the playoffs and to this day he’s responsible for my worst memory of the Palace (remember that fateful game 5). Add in the Cavs defense, the calls they get and it’s a recipe for disaster."


Roomofzen note: Pistons will lose game 1 by double digits and then steal game 2. That's their style.







Dallas at San Antonio, 8:00


Mavs Moneyball: "The Mavs are peaking in only one way: Their offense has evolved into such a deadly weapon that it is overcoming troublesome weaknesses on defense. As you look at the last ten games of the season, it is clear that Rick Carlisle has achieved what Mavs fans desperately needed after the last three playoff series: An offense that is not only potent but varied in its attack and difficult to stop even with the preparation you see in a seven game series.The Mavs are not peaking at all on defense. They are better than they were during the entire season, but they are just as inconsistent and far from dominant or even very good. This has been hidden by the devastating effectiveness of the Mavs offense, but make no mistake: The defensive flaws are still there."



Pounding the Rock: "But the facts remain that the Mavs, those stupid, ugly, dirty, foul-mouthed, devil-worshiping, gun-running, heroin-trafficking, Ozone-ruining, wife-beating, animal-abusing, child-pornography viewing, non-recycling, Grisham-reading, drunk-driving, seal-clubbing, Holocaust-denying, binge-eating, Taliban-supporting, ESPN-viewing, GOP-voting, puppy-murdering, Christian rock-listening, reality television-loving, Jagermeister drinking* Mavs are relatively healthy while my Spurs are without the services of one Emanuel David Ginóbili, our talisman, fourth quarter savior and resident force of nature.

While Ginóbili has spent most of this season in a jacket, delighting crowds with his comic timing and romantic flair, he’s generally been more valuable in the past as a postseason assassin. In losing him the Spurs are missing their only penetrator besides Parker, their peskiest defensive playmaker, their most clutch free throw shooter and just a guy who manages to make the momentum turning play more often than not. We at PtR would contemplate sacrificing a carnal evening with Mila Kunis for a healthy Manu Ginóbili (in the end we’d still probably opt for the former, but at least we’d have contemplated it)."



Roomofzen note: Any team that sent Devin Harris and two first-round picks away for Jason Kidd in the twilight of his career does deserve to get out of the first round. I believe this with every fiber of my being.








Houston at Portland, 10:30

Blazers Edge: "The problem for the Blazers is the Rockets have more experience, more defense, and more potential for physically punishing play. If this series is only going to be ground and pound it looks good for Houston. Portland cannot and should not abandon the high percentage offense, interior bulwark defense, and strong rebounding style that got them this far. But the Blazers need to throw in some tempo-changing wrinkles of the variety we saw late in the regular season. They cannot simply walk the ball up, try to match their offense against a set Houston defense, allow Houston to do the same at the other end, and expect to sustain an advantage. Here's the mantra from the Blazers' end of things for this series:
'The slower we go, the faster we lose.'"



The Dream Shake: "Yao Ming struggles with one brand of center: a small, agile post player with a low center of gravity and quick feet. Luckily, Portland suits up two giant slow people in Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. While Oden and the Pryz may be solid low-post defenders and great shot-blockers, they play the kind of old-school, post-on-post defense that Yao thrives against. No post player in the NBA has a better post move arsenal than the Ming Dynasty, and his will be on full display for the duration of the series.

Brandon Roy is one of the best young talents in The Association, but Houston has two shutdown defenders in Shane Battier and Ron Artest that serve as the perfect remedy for Roy. Remember, in the first meeting, Roy was guarded by an ailing Tracy McGrady, and was able to have a good game. This time around, he’s going to struggle with not one, but two premier perimeter defenders known collectively as "White Pills" rotating on and off of him."


Roomofzen note: I really think the matchups favor Houston in this one, which is why I picked the Rockets to win this series. The game that Dream Shake mentions, in which T-Mac attempted (in his own special way) to defend Brandon Roy was THE ONLY game in which the Blazers defeated the Rockets this season. And, they needed Roy to hit an improbably buzzer-beater to pull it off. I know everyone is high as can be on Portlant right now, but I just don't see it. Houston will advance.

Notes on the Boston Celtics

I intended to write this post before the news of Kevin Garnett's continued injury woes surfaced. However, I got distracted and now its inevitable that Doc Rivers' recent take on the situation, "It's just not progressing the way we anticipated it would progress" will linger over the entire post. But here goes.

- Mike Gorman and the ABC crew have done a great job pointing it out, but it deserves my attention. Eddie House has been outrageously hot from deep. Dating back to January 12th, over a 36-game stretch, he's gone 79-152 from beyond the arc. That's 52%. In one 4-game strech he went 7-11 (Miami), 0-1 (Orlando), 7-11 (Dallas) and 8-9 (Sacramento). Factor in the entire Eddie House experience and it has been tremendous to watch. Though I'm rightfully concerned by the Stephon Marbury/House pairing on the defensive end, it's nice to see the former ASU star get minutes at the 2, run off screens, and get it done.

- As well as House has shot he's got nothing on Paul Pierce, who has had some fantastic stretches. I know the game went to overtime and Dwyane Wade didn't suit up, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Pierce was lights out against Miami. He pulled a similar effort in defeat the previous night in Chicago. He's evolved into a tremendous weapon from around the free throw line. Yet Pierce still takes it to the rack and gets to the line. And when KG made his short lived return the Truth immediately worked to get Garnett back in the flow of the offense. Pierce's growth as a player has been rocky and ultimately rewarding.

- A while back Mike Gorman's disdain for Carmelo Anthony's game came through in Boston's trip to Denver. Gorman went as far to say that he wouldn't trade a bag of balls for Anthony. Ignoring the obvious salary cap issues with the proposed deal I was somewhat bothered by the commentary. First of all the Celtics broadcast crew is widely considered to be the most biased in the entire Association. Tommy Heinsohn and Donny Marshall see to that. So I've always relied on Gorman to stay above the fray, provide some objectivity and keep the broadcast from falling into an unmitigated Celtics love fest. That's particularly the case when Marshall is on the air as Heinsohn has earned the right to do whatever he wants given his decade long assocication with the organization. Furthermore, I don't entirely agree with Gorman's assessment. Yes, he knows the players better than I do and has the best seat in the house. However, Carmelo can flat out score. And though he's made it into the headlines for his fair share of idiocy, it's way too early to cut ties with the former Syracuse star. Just look at Pierce's growth and maturation process.

- I might be in the minority on this one, but I was a little disappointed to see Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury running around in the numbers formerly worn by Big Al and Antoine. Granted the C's have a lot of unavailable numbers. And Jefferson and Walker didn't exactly have the most distinguished careers. I just felt that same way I did when I first saw Rocco Baldelli's rocking Nomar's #5. I'd feel better if those numbers were taken by better players or guys with a future in Boston. In the end it's really a minor thing. More importantly Moore's love of personal fouls and Marbury's inconsistent play have concerned me. Still it's hard to join a team late in the season and there are signs of both guys coming along. And no matter what happens Marbury took a charge against Tim Duncan of all people. True story.

- I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Stan Van Gundy. I tend to agree that he's one of the better coaches in the NBA. I follow the line of thinking that the Shaq feud was pretty one sided and unnecessary on the Diesel's end. Van Gundy's defense of Patrick Ewing/shots at the Knicks caught me off guard. However, it's always admirable to see a head coach try to get his assistants to the next level. In fact it's something that probably doesn't happen enough. So ultimately my hesitation on Van Gundy comes down to 2 things.

1. We'll never know exactly what went down, but he was bounced in Miami by Pat Riley who then took the Heat all the way. Does that happen with Van Gundy? Once again we'll never know. And while Van Gundy has clearly bounced back well, it does linger at least somewhat. Maybe that's just me.

2. Van Gundy was recently critical of Boston and its injuries excuse: "I want to know how some teams get on the list, where they get excuses and other teams are not on that list. All I've been hearing about is all the injury problems the Celtics have had this year." Is he right? Maybe. Still there's no denying that losing KG, Leon Powe and as weird as it may sound Brian Scalabrine has had a noticeable impact. The C's are incredibly thin at the 4 and by extension the 5 as some of the aforementioned guys get minutes at center as well. Factor in Rajon Rondo's ankle issues and that's a legitimate excuse. At the same time every team has injuries. Off the top of my head LA (Andrew Bynum), San Antonio (Manu Ginobili), Orlando (Jameer Nelson), Cleveland (Ben Wallace), Milwaukee (Michael Redd), Philadelphia (Elton Brand), and Washington (Gilbert Arenas) come to mind. The list goes on.

Ultimately I always prefer the Bill Belichick style refusal to even acknowledge injuries. And of course Van Gundy is doing his job attacking the bullies in the East. It just makes me want to see the C's drive the dagger through the Magic even more. That's it for now.

Honoring the Diesel: A Look Back on All-Star Weekend 2009

Before we begin, the greatest of all the Shaq youtube videos. Trash talking to Vlade Divac set to the Cheers theme song:





Whenever I've watched the Suns play this season, I've forgotten who number 32 is. I know he's out there. He's too big to ignore. I know that he is significant, but at this point I tend to think of him more as the figure that marked a cataclysmic identity shift in his team (which now has no identity). It's a strange feeling, because there are very few players that I have seen in my lifetime that I respect as much as I respect him. I don't know if people will realize how significant he was, both on and off the court, until after he has retired.

The NBA has changed drastically over the past couple of years, as an influx of young and talented superstars have taken the torch and led the league into a new and promising era. As we headed towards All-Star Weekend 2009, I was looking forward to seeing these superstars put their talents on display. The addition of Shaquille O'Neal to the Western Conference team was sort of an afterthought. The idea that this might be the final All-Star appearance for one of the game's all time greats never even entered my realm of thought. However, I could not be happier with the way that things turned out. I will always remember All Star Weekend 2009 as the opportunity for all of us to witness one of the last great moments of one of the league's greatest icons. That, more than anything, made this All Star game a special one for me.

I enjoyed Sunday night's 27 point blowout even more than I enjoyed last year's game (which is saying a lot). It wasn't close, and yet it was incredibly fun to watch. The first half was intense, hard fought, and featured some of the toughest defense I can ever remember seeing in an All-Star game. I felt very satisfied at halftime, particularly with Paul Pierce leading all scorers. The second half, which was totally different, and tickled my fancy in a totally different way. It was fun. It was a show, which is really what All-Star games are all about. We got to see things that we would never see in a regular season game, and Shaq was a big part of that. As soon as he started taking the ball out on the perimeter, and bringing Dwight Howard out there with him, the mood of the game totally shifted and it was awesome. The Diesel was also able to turn back the clock and turn in some vintage Shaq dominance in the low post against the undersized Eastern Conference reserves.

Play of the night, hands down. The big Shaqtus goes through Dwight's legs and executes a nice give and go with Chris Paul:



Shaq up top, Chris Paul down in the paint.....this is what made Sunday night so great.

I started to get emotional on Sunday night when Shaq performed his dance with the Jabbawockeez during introductions. I realize how ridiculous that sounds......I really do......but that was the moment when it suddenly hit me that I was probably never going to see him on this stage again. He was the face of the NBA for a long time. He was the NBA in the same way that Jordan was the NBA before him and Kobe and LeBron are the NBA now, and I think he did it better than any of the others. On the court, he measures up in every way: statistically he is one of the top ten players of all time. Off the court, his humor and charismatic personality have made him more accessible than any player in history. LeBron and MJ are great in commercials, but nobody can entertain us spontaneously in press conferences and interviews like Shaq. He's a natural performer. Usually, when players dance, I cringe. But, how could you not love this? I could have watched it for hours:



It's hilarious. And, whether or not it was rehearsed, nobody else could have pulled it off.

So that was All-Star Weekend for me, all about Shaquille O'Neal. I don't think he should have won the MVP, but he was also the reason I went to bed feeling completely entertained and excited about the 27 point blowout I had just witnessed, so I guess that's pretty valuable.


Before I move on to the rest of the weekend, let me address a few questions that will naturally rise in opposition to this post:

1) Was the Shaq-Kobe co-MVP artificially created by the NBA?

--Most likely. Kobe was the MVP of that game. The NBA started hyping up the Bryant-O'Neal reunion as soon as it was announced that Shaq would be part of the game. I find it hard to believe that the two of them tied in voting. Now, the NBA could not have set this ahead of time. But, they certainly could have encouraged Phil Jackson to get Shaq heavily involved. This decision was definitely made before the fan votes were all in.


2) Should Shaq have even been an all-star?

--Obviously not if you are basing the answer strictly on what he has done in '08-'09. He plays very limited minutes on an average team, and does not even play on back to back nights. However, the man is one of the great icons ever to play in this league and I totally support the decision to let him participate in All-Star weekend one final time (most likely). The fact that the game was in Phoenix makes it a no-brainer. Magic Johnson was voted a starter in the 1992 game (and was the MVP of that game), and he was retired!


3) Was that lovefest between Shaq and Kobe real, and will they end up together before O'Neal retires?

--Probably not. Kobe has to smile and go along with whatever the league asks. His rare abilities have allowed him to move back into the good graces of NBA fans over the past few seasons, but he really has no choice but to remain warm and fuzzy. However, you'd better believe that he's just as likely to take up residence in Eagle, Colorado as he is to willingly team up with Shaq again.

The way Shaq was acting was much more puzzling to me. He does not like Kobe. It was not long ago that we were watching him on stage freestyle rapping about how Kobe is nothing without him and asking Kobe how his ass tastes. But, this weekend, he seemed almost desperate to convince the public that there is no issue between the two of them. I understand that he might be trying, by going through the court of public opinion, to convince the Lakers that they should bring him in for their title run. But, the odds of that happening are very slim, and I don't think it's worth it for him to start changing the story now. We are all convinced that Kobe was the untrustworthy, selfish scumbag in that situation. Shaq was just the funny, loveable big man. We all collectively cheered when the Heat defeated the Lakers on Christmas Day, and Shaq won his championship sans-Kobe. We cheered because we Kobe was the culprit. That was the story. Why would Shaq want to change that?

So no, that was not genuine. In fact, I would go as far as to say that they were asked to play around before the game (when we saw Kobe playfully defending Shaq out at the three point line).

It was all part of the league's marketing plan. Well, I just wrote an entire post about Shaq and Kobe. Well done NBA.


As for the rest of the weekend, I have some thoughts:

- Kevin Durant should have been an All-Star, and he proved it on Friday night. Early in the night, I thought we were going to see a rare rookie win. But then, Durant elevated his game to another level...an all-star level.

- The Skills Competition has to go. Every year I get amped up for the Saturday night festivities, and every year I end up tuning this crap out about half way through. It lacks the suspense of the three point contest and the excitement of the slam dunk contest. Guys throwing balls through hoops and running around cones....it just doesn't translate well to television. Luckily, we have a solution........

- HORSE was a huge success, and I think it is just what we need to fill the first Saturday night slot. Guys shooting long range, from the stands, with their backs to the basket, it's all exciting. It belongs inside the arena, and I think that moving it to a primetime spot will spawn more planning and creativity in the shots.

- As I've grown older I've learned that the dunk contest, because of how subjective it is, is something that you just have to enjoy regardless of the result. A few years ago, I got all worked up because I felt like Nate Robinson did not deserve to beat out Andre Iguodala. This year, I felt that Robinson was totally deserving of his victory. That being said, I have some thoughts on it:

The first dunk of the night, JR Smith's double bounce, should have gotten higher scores. That looked very difficult to time up. Smith's second dunk (with Sonny Weems) was lame and required many attempts, so I don't feel bad that he didn't advance.


Like many people in Boston, I was rooting hard for Rudy Fernandez to fail in successfully completing his dunk with Pau the llama Gasol. That being said, it was an impressive dunk. If he had nailed it on the first try (maybe if Gasol wasn't being an asshole and trying to throw it behind his back), I think it would have been a 50.

Of all the night's dunks, this one (the first, off the side of the backboard) impressed me more than any others:



Off the side of the backboard has been done before....but look at that extension on the arm. Nobody else could have not only reeled that ball in, but thrown it down so hard. The guy is a physical freak.


I've heard a lot of people take issue with Howard attempting the leap from the free throw line as his final dunk, because it "doesn't look that great when you're 6'11". Fair enough. But, just remember, he weighs 265 pounds. And, most 7 footers in the league have little to no leaping ability. Imagine yourself standing at the foul line shooting a free throw....now imagine you weigh 265 pounds and you're jumping from there...what are the odds you're going to make it to the rim? Not very good. I'd need a rocket pack.

But, Dwight stepped over the line and I have no problem with the outcome. I thought both finalists put on a great show. But, overall it was not as exciting as last year and it certainly will not be as exciting as next year.